National Appointment Ceremony Held 72 Days After Inauguration: President Lee Jae Myung Receives "Certificate of Light"

President Lee Attends National Appointment Ceremony on the 15th
Receives "Certificate of Light" from 80 Citizen Representatives
Audience Chants "Lee Jaemyung" as President Takes the Podium
Over 3,000 Specially Invited Citizens Attend the Ce

President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hye Kyung are expressing their gratitude after receiving the "Certificate of Light" from 80 representatives of the people at the 21st Presidential National Appointment Ceremony titled "80 Years of Liberation, Building the Future with National Sovereignty" held at Gwanghwamun Square on Sejong-daero, Seoul, on the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee Jae Myung received the "Certificate of Light" at the National Appointment Ceremony, which was held in conjunction with Liberation Day. Wearing a white necktie symbolizing his intention to "embrace everything," President Lee expressed his gratitude and emphasized national sovereignty. As he took the podium with the "Certificate of Light" installation as a backdrop, some voices in the audience began chanting "Lee Jae Myung."

The 21st Presidential National Appointment Ceremony, titled "80 Years of Liberation, Building the Future with National Sovereignty," was held on August 15 at Gwanghwamun Square on Sejong-daero, Seoul, just 72 days after President Lee's inauguration. On his inauguration day, June 4, President Lee held a simple oath of office at the National Assembly, inviting only a small number of guests, without a separate inauguration ceremony. This was due to the need to immediately begin his duties following an early presidential election, without a transition committee. Last month, there were considerations to hold a national appointment ceremony with the character of an inauguration on Constitution Day, July 17, but it was canceled due to heatwaves and heavy rain.

On the 15th, the 21st Presidential National Appointment Ceremony titled "80 Years of Liberation, Building the Future with National Sovereignty" is being held at Gwanghwamun Square on Sejong-daero, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Before the National Appointment Ceremony, various cultural and artistic performances took place at the venue. These included traditional and contemporary percussion parades set to the song "Haeya," performances by folk troupes and percussionists, a dance troupe, a song by the special project group "Todayya" commemorating 80 years of liberation, a cheerleading performance, and a song by singer Lee Eun Mi.

After the first part's cultural performances, President Lee entered the venue with First Lady Kim Hye Kyung, both wearing white neckties. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo Jung explained that the white necktie "symbolizes embracing everything like a blank slate and making a fresh start." After the president's entrance, Kim Hae In, rescue team leader at Uljin Maritime Police Station; Jang Eung Pyo, a senior in environmental engineering at Keimyung University; and Kim Jun Young and Sa Gong Hye Ran, parents of quintuplets, took the stage to share their experiences and challenges with the president, first lady, and the audience.

President Lee Receives "Certificate of Light" from 80 Citizen Representatives

The main event, the National Appointment Ceremony, began as 80 pre-selected citizen representatives took the stage holding certificates to present to President Lee while a children's choir sang. The 80 citizen representatives included individuals who contributed to democracy, economic growth, science and technology, and culture since liberation, as well as ordinary citizens. The wording on the certificates was written directly by the representatives, reflecting their hopes for the president. The certificates were placed in a large cube on stage.

President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hye Kyung are receiving the "Certificate of Light" from Lee Guk Jong, Director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital and representative of the people, at the 21st Presidential National Appointment Ceremony titled "80 Years of Liberation, Building the Future with National Sovereignty," held on the 15th at Gwanghwamun Square on Sejong-daero, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

On stage, President Lee received certificates directly from four of the 80 citizen representatives. These four were Mok Jang Gyun, born on August 15, 1945, and son of independence activist Mok Yeon Wook; Lee Guk Jong, Director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital; Lee Yeon Soo, CEO of NC AI, a company participating in an artificial intelligence foundation model project; and Heo Ga Young, who became the first Korean to win first prize in the student section at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

When President Lee placed the final certificate, the cube lit up, completing the "Certificate of Light." As he took the podium to express his gratitude, chants of "Lee Jae Myung" erupted from the crowd.

Former President Moon and Family of Late President Roh Attend... Conservative Figures Absent

In addition to the 80 citizen representatives, around 3,000 people received special invitations to the National Appointment Ceremony. Attendees included former President Moon Jae In and First Lady Kim Jung Sook, the family of the late former President Roh Moo Hyun, religious leaders, and representatives from politics, business, and labor. An additional 3,500 members of the public were invited through an online lottery. The total number of people present, including uninvited citizens who attended, is estimated at about 10,000.

President Lee Jae Myung is greeting former President Moon Jae In and First Lady Kim Jung Sook at the 21st Presidential National Appointment Ceremony held on the 15th at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

However, many conservative figures, including former presidents, did not attend. The presidential office sent invitations to former President Lee Myung Bak and his wife, former President Park Geun Hye, and Kim Ok Sook and Lee Soon Ja, the wives of former Presidents Roh Tae Woo and Chun Doo Hwan, respectively, but none attended. Former President Lee conveyed that he could not attend due to difficulty sitting outdoors for an extended period, while former President Park reportedly replied that long-distance travel was difficult due to health reasons.

Conservative opposition parties also announced their absence in advance. Song Eon Seok, interim leader of the People Power Party, held an emergency committee meeting at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 14th and stated, "We will not attend President Lee's self-coronation." Reform Party leader Lee Jun Seok and floor leader Chun Ha Ram also decided not to attend in protest of the Liberation Day special pardon granted to Cho Kuk, former leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party.